Do you hear people talking about “New Math,” but you’re at a loss for how to convince them it’s not so bad?
This episode is about getting your school community on board with “New Math.” It’s good for kids, so we’ve all got to give it our best shot.
In this episode we will chat about:
- How School culture plays a role in New Math
- The approach to take when trying something new
- Questions to ask to shift your math culture
Interested in Reading More About New Math 👇🏼
You’re either in one of two kind of schools…. One where everyone is on the same page and willing to try new things. People share ideas and others get excited to learn and evolve.
Or you’re in a school where it almost feels like a competition. You bring new ideas to the table and people look at you with a skeptical eyebrow raised and say things like,
“I’ve tried that… I’m not sure it will work.”
“These kids couldn’t handle that.”
“In the past we’ve done things like that, but now we…”
Obviously I’m over simplifying it to say that these exist in isolation, you surely could have a combination of both. However, in the schools I’ve worked in I’ve found mostly one or the other.
It feels like you’re swimming upstream trying to get the staff or just the teachers on your team on board with a new idea in that second school, doesn’t it? It feels overwhelming when you know these practices are good for kids but teachers are fighting back saying they won’t work when you know they do.
My Teaching Experience with New Math
I worked at a school where the principal and teachers were very stuck in their ways. I don’t think it was because they wanted to be, but because staff turn over was very low… it was a really nice, well funded school in a great neighborhood with students who were high achieving… teachers rarely left. That also meant that new ideas and fresh perspectives were rare. So, many of the practices of teachers were outdated or just fads and cute ideas they saw on social media.
I started there as a seasoned teacher and my team just didn’t know how to handle me. This woman with her HONESTY just flying everywhere… let’s just say I learned to stop sharing and pushing… and just close my door and get down to business with my kids. That was until the principal started to observe and then I was exposed. Haha. Anyway, I digress. The feeling I had when my colleagues would push back or even when one observed and then simply asked, “What lesson in the book is this?” Ugh… what? It’s like they were completely missing the point. She didn’t noticed the students’ thinking, their discussions, their excitement and ownership?!
Coaching with New Math
On the contrary I’ve had the pleasure of coaching at a school where the entire staff has this mindset and approach of openness. They are ready and willing every time I arrive to get down to the learning, pushing themselves to try new things, and getting vulnerable when things aren’t working. It is SUCH a breath of fresh air. Best part? Students are learning… rapidly increasing scores and deepening their understandings.
What’s the Difference?
But I don’t think it’s JUST about school culture and mindset. When we want to get teachers on board with new ideas and really dig into improving instructional strategies to be more effective we have to have a common vision.
That’s the difference between the schools I’ve worked at with that “let’s do this” mindset and the ones where new ideas we’re pushed out with ad defensive stance. It’s a vision.
A community is created when a vision is shared.
So, here’s what we’re doing now friends… we’re cultivating a culture of our school math programs with a MATH VISION!
These are the questions I want you to consider:
- “Who will our mathematicians be when they leave here?”
- “What will they leave our math program with/ being able to do?”
- “What does it mean to do math here at our school?”
- “What do we believe mathematicians should be?”
- “What does our community believe about math?”
- “What research supports our vision?”
If your staff got together and discussed these questions. Looked at some models of math visions and research that supports effective teaching and learning…
What would happen?
I know what would happen. People, all the adults and children and parents and staff in your building would:
- Have a clear idea of the goal
- Understand the plan to get to the goal
- Realize the math values of the organization
- Share a common purpose as a mathematician (yes EVERYONE!) No more, “I’m not a math person honey go ask Mr. J for some help… I’m just a kindergarten teacher/gym teacher/spanish teacher” Nope, we aren’t doing that anymore because we ALL see how our words and enthusiasm for math matter.
Phew I LOVE creating math visions with people…
because it’s a living document. Each semester and school year you can revisit, revise and make sure this vision still represents what it is you want for your students.
If you have a math vision I would LOVE to see it. I have a little file going of exemplars that I’d love to add yours too. Then, I can share it with others that are looking for inspiration as they create their math vision!
I hope you’ll consider how a math vision might be part of your school Professional Learning plan for the upcoming school year. This makes for a great back to school PD sessions. Gathering your whole staff for 60 to 90 minutes to get clear on the math vision is essential.
I’d love to help you brainstorm what they might look like or work with your school to make it happen. That’s just one of the services I offer as part of my Math Coaching and Consulting Agency, Chicago Math Group.
In fact if you are the planner or decision maker or on the committee or have a good relationship with your principal… I’d love to invite you to register for my upcoming webinar on May 16 at 3:30pm CST where I’ll be sharing my services and a glimpse into what working with Chicago Math Group might look like for your school or district. Packages are fully customizable to your schools’ vision and goals. On the webinar I’ll share how I’ve done that with school and share the investment so you can start planning for next year!
If you’ve like to register you can head over to the link in the description or go to monamath.com/webinar
I hope to see you there so we can plan for how to get your math vision fully supported in this upcoming school year!
Other episodes you might like:
- Learning Labs (Episode 42)
- Teacher Leader for Math Culture (episode 34)
Links Mentioned:
Work with me in 2024-25
Join me on May 16 at 3:30 pm CST where I’ll be sharing my services and a glimpse into working with Chicago Math Group (my math coaching agency). Register for the webinar here: Monamath.com/Webinar
Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath
Other Ideas and Related Topics:
Embrace Your Critics: A Surprising Strategy for Teacher-Leader Success Here